Top Sandy Beaches in Malta and How to Get There (2024)

Malta is famous for its crystal clear waters that many other tourist destinations are jealous of. The island offers all sort of beaches, whether you like sandy, rocky, secluded, or easy to reach beaches for waters sports lovers – it has it all. Many beaches also have kiosks or restaurants with the possibility to hire sunbeds and umbrellas. Since Malta is known mostly to have rocky beaches, we have decided to give you all the info about the sandy beaches on the Maltese island and how to get there. The summer period in Malta starts in May and lasts until October with extensions: Over the summer, beaches start getting more alive with bars and kiosks opening up for the season. People start working on their tan and gathering with their friends for barbecues by the sea. Sports like windsurf and kite surfing are, however, forbidden from June to September.

Għajn Tuffieħa, Mellieha

Sandy Beach Għajn Tuffieħa (meaning Apple’s Eye), probably the most beautiful beach on the entire island of Malta, it is located in the North West of the island and is very close to Golden Bay. This beach just like Golden Bay is also not very large, so space is very limited. Once you arrive here, you must do 180 stairs steps or go around a little road which will bring you to the other side of the bay. The sand here is very smooth and pleasant. To get into deep water, you must walk for about 30 meters. If you feel like walking, then going uphill, will take you to a place with great panorama and the view of Gnejna Bay. For those a little bit adventurous, once you’re here, you can slide down towards Gnejna Bay. Sunsets are very pretty from Ghajn Tuffieha. You can rent umbrellas in Għajn Tuffieħa for €5 and a sunbed for €6. There is a kiosk on top of the stairs which is more convenient price-wise than the bar at the beach which obviously has very high prices.

How to get to Għajn Tuffieħa

The bus lines are the same for Golden Bay. The closest bus stop to the beach of Għajn Tuffieħa is Riviera which is at about 100 meters distance.

From Valletta or Floriana take the direct bus 44 with direction to Għajn Tuffieħa that runs every 30 minutes.
From Cirkewwa take the direct bus 101 with direction to Mgarr and passes every 60 minutes.
From Bugibba take the bus 223 to Għajn Tuffieħa, every 60 minutes.
From Sliema take the bus 225 to Għajn Tuffieħa, every 60 minutes.
From Sliema and St.Julian’s there is also a special line that runs only in summer and is the TD5 every 60 minutes.

Golden Bay, Mellieha

Golden Bay is a small sandy beach located northwest of the island. This beach got this name due to its golden sandy colour. This beach is one of the most popular between the tourists and it has bars, restaurants, and all the comforts to pass a full day on the beach. This bay is often a bit windy and for this is perfect for the windsurf out of season. Also, this bay has some water currents, so do not let the kids go too far alone, and never underestimate the wind currents in Malta. Due to its size, if one wished to find a good spot for, it is advisable to get here as early as possible to find parking and space to fit your umbrella.

How to get to Golden Bay

To get to Golden Bay, you will need to use the bus stop Tuffieħa and walk for about 100 meters to and from the beach.

Paradise Bay, Mellieha

Sandy Beach Paradise Bay is located in the North of Malta close to Mellieħa, overlooking the Gozo channel. Indeed it is right beside the Cirkewwa port from where the Ferries to Gozo depart. The beach is quite tiny but due to the fact that it is not so easily accessible as other beaches and has good-sized parking, this beach is especially suggested for those who have a car. Around the beach, there are many snorkelling spots, so get your snorkels with you, but also here, you can rent a kayak. Many locals love visiting the beach to watch the sun setting here too. There are all the comforts as on the other beaches, plus you can have a freshwater shower at €1. The restaurant on the beach offers local food, but if you are up to saving some money, you can get some Ftiras, local sandwiches that the locals simply call bread at a really good price.

How to get to Paradise Bay

The bus stop is located in the parking on top of the beach. Once you have arrived, you can go down the stairs that lead to the beach. The only bus that arrives exactly to the beach is 101 and stops at the bus stop Paradise The bus here is rare with following times:

Paradise

07:22 08:22 19:25 20:22 21:22

Your better option will be walking for 750 meters to the bus stop Musa, click here to get the route that you should take. Musa is well connected with many bus lines, click here to check the one more suitable for your location www.publictransport.com.mt

Imgiebah Bay, St. Pauls Bay

Far away from touristic beaches, in the north of Malta, there is a sandy beach called Imgiebah bay – also known as Selmun Bay.This small beach in the wild is far away from any village and buildings. The landscape is fascinating.To arrive, you will need to walk down a small hill, so it is better to have comfortable shoes. The end result is definitely worth the walk, though.The beach is frequented mostly by the locals, and there are no kiosks or bars. You will neither find here beach equipment to rent. This beach is also pet-friendly, and many people bring over their pets here. P.s. do not forget to bring a snack and water to hydrate since once you make it here, we suggest you stay for a while.

How to get to Selmun Bay

To can get to Selmun Bay by public transport, car or scooter. The road is not that great, so you need to proceed slowly avoiding the holes. You can park next to the houses and continue by walk. We suggest using a GPS to avoid getting lost.The public transport would be the less optimal way as the closest bus stop is about two kilometres away. It will take you almost 30 minutes walk to arrive at the beach by walk.The closest bus stop is Mellieha. This is the route you would need to take by walk:

By the bus stop Mellieha, most of the bus lines are frequently passing, so you can get here very easily. Here is the list of lines that pass from here: https://www.publictransport.com.mt/en/routes-timetables/3207

Armier Bay, Mellieha

Sandy beach but partially rocky.Armier Bay while has some buildings around it, the so-called Boat Houses, is a nice beach with very beautiful colours of the water. Choose between the Little Armier and Big Armier (also known as just Armier) to have a day on the beach which is both partially sandy and partially rocky. The depth is not big here, which also makes it a great spot for visiting if you are with kids. Few nice lidos provide good food at affordable prices. At Armier, water taxi and water sports are very popular. Armier Bay is the closest spot with to Coral Lagoon if you wish to visit it by kayaks. So, do not miss this experience, if you are here (Highly recommended to depart early to Coral Lagoon, since sea tends to become choppy very quickly).

How to get to Armier Bay

Armier Bay is located in the very North of Malta. The only way to get there is to use a car. There are buses stopping on the way to Cirkewwa, but it is really a long walk to take, especially in the hot summer.

Għadira Bay, Mellieha

Pronounced as Adira BayGħadira Bay, known also as Mellieha Bay is located in Mellieha, on the north coast of the island of Malta. It is the longest sandy beach in Malta and is one of the most famous beaches on the island. It has very clear waters and magnificent sand. The water around the beach is without currents and the depth increases very gradually. This makes this beach very suitable for families. Locals usually have their favourite spots on the beach, in fact, they refer to the beach as if it were three different beaches; the first beach, second beach and third beach (beaches are usually divided by the lidos). The area has plenty of kiosks and offers an area equipped for a picnic. Here there is also the chance to hire the equipment to practice water sports.

How to get to Għadira Bay

This beach is easy to reach with public transport. The bus stop is – Għadira – which is right in front of the beach. For this reason, this beach is also one of the most crowded, especially over the weekend. Further on in this article, you will be able to click on the Bus line number to see the bus route and its timetable.

From Valletta or Floriana take one of the direct buss number 41 (every 20 minutes), 42 (every 60 minutes), 49 (every 60 minutes) or 250 (every 60 minutes). So if you need to get to Għadira and you are located between Valletta – Mosta – St Paul′s Bay, you will find one bus approximately every 10 minutes.
From Sliema or St.Julian′s you can take the bus 222 that does the cost road, therefore you can also enjoy some panoramic view of the sea on your way to Għadira Bay. This line runs with a frequency of every 30 minutes.
From Bugibba take the bus 221 that passes every 30 minutes.
From Mgarr you can take the bus 101 with direction to Circkewwa, every 60 minutes.
From the Airport you can take the bus X1 that passes through St. Pauls Bay with the final stop in Circkewwa. This bus runs every 45 minutes.

Blue Lagoon, Comino

Sandy beach, partially rockyThe Blue Lagoon is located in Comino, the small island between Malta and Gozo, and probably it is the most beautiful beach in Malta. It is certainly the most popular. The water is so clear, that even if swimming at a 6 metres depth, you can easily see the bottom, the fish and other marine life. It has a small sandy area which gets very crowded in the summer and large rocky area with caves, one of which has a sandy beach inside. At the Blue Lagoon, you will find kiosks with food and drinks. You can hire a banana boat, or a tour through the caves by boat. The best hours to visit are early morning or after 16 o’clock in the afternoon, just when the commercial boats hit back to the mainland.

How to get to Blue Lagoon

To get to Blue Lagoon you will need to use a boat. You can choose between the Ferry boat from Cirkewwa or other day cruise boats from Sliema Ferry or St. Paul’s Bay. Some of the boats offer food, an open bar, some are private tour boats and some do private yacht charters. Check this article for precise information about how to get to Blue Lagoon.Read also: Gozo beaches and how to get there.